"It just hasn’t worked out" - Liverpool urged to part ways with midfielder who has not lived up to expectations

Former Liverpool player Stan Collymore has urged the Reds to let go of Naby Keita in the summer. The pundit believes that the move has not worked out and that he should not be handed a new contract.

Keita joined Liverpool in 2018 after the Reds agreed to pay a premium on his clause and agreed a deal in 2017. However, injuries have hindered his career at Anfield, and he is now at the end of his contract.

In his CaughtOffside column, Collymore claimed that the move has not worked out as planned for Keita and the Anfield side. He urged the club to part ways with the midfielder and said:

"I would definitely let Naby Keita go. His move from RB Leipzig back in 2018 was an exciting one because of how long the fans had to wait for him to join because of how the deal was constructed but it just hasn't worked out. Sometimes that happens in football when a player joins a club and fails to live up to expectations. He's been at Anfield long enough and if it hasn't worked by now, it never will, so the end of the season certainly feels like the right time to let him go. He's out of contract in the summer anyway so everything is pointing toward an end-of-season-exit."

He added:

"Liverpool's entire midfield needs transforming. Stefan Bajetic looks like a great prospect but there's no way Jurgen Klopp can be relying on an 18-year-old week in, week out. I honestly think that anything short of three or four new midfielders in the summer, with at least one of them being either Declan Rice or Jude Bellingham, won't be good enough. They've got to completely overhaul their midfield engine as soon as possible, no ifs, buts or maybes, so as for Keita being linked away, I've got absolutely no problem with him leaving."

Liverpool have a 'huge sum' saved for midfielders

Liverpool are planning a midfield overhaul in the summer and are targeting players who can walk straight into the first team.

Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are said to be the top targets, with Football Insider reporting that the Reds have saved a huge sum to get midfielders.